The film’s far-fetched story doesn’t help, even though it does tap into a potent childhood fantasy – the idea that your mum and dad aren’t your real parents. Lautner’s high-school kid, Nathan Harper, has this feeling, but no sooner has he found apparent confirmation – a picture of himself as a little boy on a missing persons website – than he’s forced to go on the run for his life.

With both the CIA and a squad of shadowy assassins breathing down his neck, Nathan and his friend and fellow fugitive Karen (Lily Collins, daughter of Phil) attempt to evade capture and solve the mystery of his true identity.

Watching John Singleton’s hack direction it’s hard to believe that people once spoke of him in the same breath as Orson Welles after he became the youngest person to be nominated for a Best Director Oscar for his 1991 debut Boyz N the Hood.

Maria Bello and Jason Isaacs (as Nathan’s fake parents), Alfred Molina (CIA man), Sigourney Weaver (enigmatic psychiatrist) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘s Michael Nyqvist (Eastern European baddie) come through relatively unscathed but will probably want to leave Abduction off their CVs. As for Lautner, he flashes his abs and furrows his eyebrows, which will presumably be enough to please Team Jacob. Everyone else will be left guffawing at how ludicrously silly this car-crash of a movie is.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Please keep me up to date with special offers and news from What' s on TV and other brands operated by TI Media Limited via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We'd also like to send you special offers and news just by email from other carefully selected companies we think you might like. Your personal details will not be shared with those companies - we send the emails and you can unsubscribe at any time. Please tick here if you are happy to receive these messages.